


Eating In

by Historywriter2007



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Student!Katniss, Teacher!Peeta, chef!Peeta, cooking school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-19 04:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18131156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Historywriter2007/pseuds/Historywriter2007
Summary: Written for Wendywobbles birthday!Katniss is a horrible cook.  All she knows how to do is put frozen things into an oven.  Her friends have had enough of it and pay for her to get one on one instruction from the new cooking instructor in town. It doesn't hurt that he's as good on the eyes as his food is on the stomach.





	Eating In

Katniss pulled the frozen pizza from the oven just as her friends walked into her apartment. They took turns cooking Sunday dinner and catching up on the latest Netflix movie or show before their busy weeks began. While most of her friends cook amazing Sunday dinners Katniss generally pulled something she bought pre-cooked from the oven. It wasn’t that she was a bad cook, she was just too busy—at least that’s what she told herself. 

 

“Hey brainless, did you burn the pizza?” Johanna called from the doorway as she and Annie walked further into her apartment.  

 

“No, it’s fine, just crispy,” Katniss shot back. 

 

Johanna and Annie leaned on the table and took their already filled wine glasses in hand. “At least you already poured our drinks.” Johanna jested, while Katniss scowled. 

 

“Well, maybe this is the perfect time to give you your birthday gift, “Annie interrupted while pulling an envelope from her purse. 

 

Katniss took it and opened it up, “I don’t understand.” She said as she stared at a card from “Eating In” 

 

“Well, we think you could use some help in the cooking department and decided to get you one-on-one cooking lessons,” Annie replied. 

 

“Don’t you think I could have just used the group classes?” Katniss asked.

 

“Trust me when you see the chef you’ll appreciate the one-on-one class. Let’s just say with any luck you’ll learn how to cook in the kitchen and make things hot somewhere else.” Johanna said as she nudged Katniss, who was turning as red as the pizza sauce. 

 

One week later Katniss found herself at Eating In, during the day they ran an actual culinary school, in the evenings they had classes for the general public. Katniss had looked into it at one point but felt it was too expensive. Besides she only had herself to cook for now that Prim was off at medical school, frozen dinners were just fine for one. 

 

She told the woman at the front desk who she was and sat in the waiting room for her instructor. Pictures of the chefs who worked there were on the wall, one was a paunchy older man, the other a younger, very good looking man with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  She guessed that was the one Johanna was talking about, but with her luck, she’d get the old grumpy one. As the door opened from the back, she breathed a sigh of relief, for once the odds were in her favor. 

 

“Hi Katniss, I’m Peeta.” He said while smiling at her, he looked better in person. It took a moment for her to realize he had his hand out for her to shake. When she came out of her stupor she quickly took his hand and shook it. When they touched she felt a shock run through her arm, he must have felt it too. He pulled back and put his hand along his the back of his neck. “Let’s get started,” he said as he led her to the back kitchens. 

 

The room was filled with stainless steel counters, ovens, stoves and everything you could possibly need. Katniss stopped dead in her tracks, it was a bit overwhelming. 

 

“Don’t worry, we don’t use all of this. A lot of this is for the culinary classes, you will only use about a fourth of it. I’ll let you know what the most important things to have in your kitchen.” Peeta’s voice was calming, she let him lead her to the workstation he set up. 

 

He pulled up two stools and had her sit, “So tell me a bit about what you currently do for cooking meals.” 

 

Katniss fiddled with the end of her braid, “I...um...I try to cook food, but it’s just me so I end up with mainly frozen foods.” 

 

“That’s common, so you don’t have anyone special that you try to make meals for?” Peeta kept his head down, his eyes on his notes.

 

Katniss shook her head, “I do.” His head shot up and for a moment she thought she saw some sadness in his eyes. 

 

“What do you want to be able to cook for them?” He followed up, again looking at his notes. 

 

“Well, my sister comes in town for holidays so I thought it would be nice if I knew how to cook some of the typical holiday food. Last year I bought the Bob Evan meal deal. Also every Sunday I get together with my friends and they are sick of frozen pizza and Stouffer's lasagna.” Katniss stated. 

 

“Is there anyone else?” Peeta asked. 

 

“Nope, just my sister and my friends. They are actually the ones who got this for me, it’s my birthday gift.” Katniss added. 

 

“Well, happy late birthday then.” Peeta finally gave her a real smile again. “Let’s get started.” 

 

Over the next ten weeks, Peeta taught Katniss all she needed to know about cooking. They started with basics, he taught her how to choose the right foods and what went together. She had a list of things to buy for her kitchen, including spices and equipment.  She learned about him too, his family owned a bakery in the next town over. He’d gone to culinary school and graduated early because he was able to test out of his bakery requirements. Peeta spent a few years working his way up the restaurant scene until his father got ill.  He works with the family bakery when he’s not at the school. 

 

She also told him about her life. How her father was killed in an accident at work and her mother was nothing more to them but a paycheck after. She told him about raising her sister who was now living her dream in medical school. She even told him about how she got her job at a nearby office by pure luck and that her boss paid for her to go to school so she could help run it. One night Katniss ended up telling him about the string of crappy relationships she’d had and that she doesn't date much. He replied by telling her restaurant hours didn’t leave time for a girlfriend either. 

 

On her last night, he added something to her class, baking. It wasn’t something he normally did, but she’d been a quick study and they were done with the normal curriculum. She found herself mesmerized by the way the muscles in his arms moved when he kneaded the dough and how long and light his eyelashes were. 

 

When it was her turn she had a hard time getting used to how to move her hands. She felt Peeta move in behind her. “Is this alright?” He asked as his arms came around her waist and covered her own. 

 

Her heart was racing. She thought they’d been flirting, but he was so good looking she figured it was just wishful thinking. Her breathy answer of yes was all she could muster as his warm hands helped hers move through the dough. He was so close she could feel his shaky breath in her shoulder. For a moment she contemplated moving back so her whole body was against his but stopped. 

 

They got through the final class, but as she was leaving a sadness came over her. She was horrible with words and didn’t know if all the tension was in her own mind. Thankfully Peeta intervened. 

 

“This is completely against the rules and if you’re not interested please pretend I didn’t say anything but would you be up for celebrating your last class with dinner?” 

 

Katniss was surprised at first, then she gave him a nervous smile as she tried to channel her inner Johanna. “I’d love to. How about I show off my new found cooking skills at my place.” 

 

Peeta agreed, and she sent him her address, as she was walking out she secretly hoped he’d be the one to cook breakfast.

 


End file.
